1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to wearable devices and more particularly to a wearable money-storing belt with an internal electric alarm system.
2. Description of Related Art
Despite the increased popularity of electronic payment methods, individuals still rely on carrying paper and coin currency, particularly when traveling in a foreign country. Due to the widespread petty theft in many countries, particularly targeted at tourists, there is a constant need for devices to carry currency in a discrete manner. Many forms of personal clandestine currency carriers are known in the art, such as belts, satchels, pouches, and various other forms of hidden wallets. A typical money belt includes a primary pouch and a waistband and is intended to be worn underneath the wearer's outer garments, with the pouch portion aligned at the wearer's stomach. The pouch may have one or more zipper or hook and pile fasteners (known under the trademark Velcro) pockets or compartments for storing currency, passports, and other valuables. These wearable money belts provide a significant advantage over traditional pocket wallets or even neck-worn safety wallets as the pouch can remain hidden and out of sight behind the wearer's clothing at the stomach region, eliminating the ability to “pick-pocket.” However, the problem with these conventional money belts is that thieves have become more intelligent and have taken to strategies involving snipping the waistband (often along with the wearer's outer clothing) and grasping the valuables pouch quickly away from the body of the wearer. Accordingly, there is a significant need in the art for an improved money belt that accounts for the potential theft.
Several attempts have been made at providing a protective device for valubles; however none have adequately addressed all of the problems with the present state of the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,858 to Batavier discloses a garment with pockets having a point in the vicinity of the end of the pocket inlet connected by a coupling part to a resilient element which serves to issue an acoustic, or other signal in the case of pickpocketing. While providing an audible alert of a potential pick-pocketing, the device is built into the garment and thus is not portable. Also, it conceivable will make false alarms in the case that the wearer intends to access his own pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,693,164 to Bruchlos describes an anti-theft wallet that includes a flat anti-theft mechanism that serves as a noise making sound board for producing an audible alarm when the wallet locking mechanism is operated. Although the wallet is portable, it does not prevent a thief from pick-pocketing the entire wallet and also does not prevent against false alarms when the true owner wishes to access the wallet.
It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed. However, in view of the protective devices in existence at the time of the present invention, it was not obvious to those persons of ordinary skill in the pertinent art as to how the identified needs could be fulfilled in an advantageous manner.